Static Testing In Software Testing: Best Practices In 2024

Have you ever wondered if static testing can affect the quality of your software and help you detect bugs before the code is executed? Static testing doesn't involve executing code - it's more of a way to verify a property of the software. It concentrates on analyzing the structure, documentation, and source code without running it. This method is a step in the software development process.

Evidence shows that teams integrating testing throughout development spend 22% less time correcting the work. This highlights the importance of static testing, which our team actively uses. In this article, we will look at the advantages of static testing, its main types, disadvantages, and tools that will help you implement this method in your projects.

What is being tested in static testing?

Software static testing is a type of software testing performed without launching the program. The main goal of static testing is to detect defects before code execution. The code, documentation, specifications, diagrams, and other project artifacts are tested. 

In static software testing, the code's compliance with the established coding standards is checked, the program logic is analyzed, and potential errors and non-compliance with requirements are searched for. An important aspect of static testing is detecting problems at the early stages of development, which helps reduce the cost of fixing errors in the future and prevent them by setting up the correct development route.

During static testing, the code itself, the project documentation, comments in the code, program structure, verification of the correctness of using data structures and algorithms, etc., can be tested. Also, within the scope of static testing:

• Code, review. 
• Analysis of the application architecture. 
• Evaluation of the possibility of error occurrence can be involved. 

Many bugs detected during static testing increases are localized and corrected in the early hundreds part, which leads to higher quality control results with low final costs.

Main types of static testing

Several types of static testing can be applied in the software development process to improve code quality and detect potential problems: 

Every type of static testing validates software quality and increases the productivity of development teams. Our article on agile methodology in QA further explores how integrating static testing within agile practices enhances flexibility and continuous improvement.  Combining different testing techniques helps create a reliable and up-to-date software solution.

The pros of static software testing 

There are many advantages to static testing that can improve software quality and help streamline the development process:  

• Early detection: One benefit of static testing is the ability to identify issues before even finishing writing code. Detecting early bugs helps uncover bugs very early and, in this way, either does not produce the bug or at least reduces the cost of fixing it for later stages. Static software testing tools for code can automatically detect potential problems and standards violations.   
• Improving code quality: Code and architecture analysis helps developers write more structured, readable, and efficient code. This enhances the total level and reliability of the software merchandise and makes it easier to update and further develop. 
• Reduce development time: By automating the static analysis process and catching problems early on, we can appreciably reduce the time needed for software development. This makes it possible to shorten the time when new functions are introduced and lower the risks of product bugs.   
• Improved security: Static testing allows you to identify potential vulnerabilities and security issues in your code. This is especially important today when cyberattacks become more common. Analyzing with static tools can mitigate the risks of sensitive information leaks and other threats.  
• Improved project scalability: Static testing helps identify system performance and scalability issues early in development. This allows the application to be designed and developed more efficiently, keeping in mind its future scale and ability to perform sustainably as data volumes or workloads increase.  
• Code standardization: Static testing can enforce coding standards and project architecture. It's suitable for team development. Making reading and maintainability code easier to understand while increasing its modifiability and maintainability often reduces the likelihood of conflict among team members.

Static testing techniques are employed during the early phases of a development cycle to locate and exterminate defects. If individual pieces comprise better characteristics, then the entire software is also improved qualitatively this way. By partnering with us, you can discover advantages testing can transform your development process. Explore our bdd software testing guide to understand how static testing integrates with other testing methodologies comprehensively. 

The cons of static software testing 

Let's also take a look at the cons of static testing:

• Limited defect detection: The other side of static testing is that the static analysis cannot detect errors related to dynamic program execution, such as problems with data input/output, interaction with external systems, or errors resulting from changes in the program state over time.  
• Resource costs: Performing static code and architecture analysis can require significant time and computational resources. Manual static analysis in software testing may be time-consuming, and some static testing tools require staff training or unique customization, which may affect the productivity and efficiency of the development process.  
• False positives: Another disadvantage of static testing is false positives, which occur when analysis tools mistakenly consider correct code incorrect. This can lead to wasted time investigating and fixing non-existent issues and reduce confidence in the test results.  

Despite these disadvantages, static testing is still a powerful tool in the QA’s and developer's arsenal to ensure software quality. It should be combined with other testing methods to ensure maximum coverage and detection of various defects during development.

The differences between static testing in software testing and dynamic testing  

Comparing static and dynamic testing, there are several key differences:

The combination and complex use of static testing in software testing and bdd software testing allow you to create more reliable and high-quality software, provide a high level of verification, and reduce the risks of errors at all stages of project development. 

Conducting structure static and dynamic testing 

At the highest tier of the hierarchy is "Testing," which encompasses all variations of software examination methodologies, then:

1. Static testing: 

Involves assessing the code, requirement documents, and design documents without running the code. This is conducted early in the developmental phase to identify issues before they progress to subsequent phases. 

Varieties of static testing: 

2. Dynamic testing:

It encompasses running the software code to validate the results against the anticipated outcomes. This examination is carried out at various stages during and after the software development procedure. 

Types of dynamic testing: 

Functional testing validates the software system based on the functional requirements/specifications. 

• Unit testing: Examining individual units or components of software. 
• Integration testing: Examining the fusion of units or components collectively. 
• System testing: Examining the entire and integrated software system to confirm that it satisfies the specified requirements. 

Non-functional testing validates the non-functional aspects of the software, such as performance, usability, and reliability.  

Performance testing: Determines the system's performance under various circumstances. 

This diagram helps us comprehend the categorization of testing, further dividing them into more specific types and methodologies utilized in the software development lifecycle. 

Static testing often helps detect the following types of bugs in the table:

This tool organizes information and makes it more accessible for understanding and analysis. 

Code static testing tools 

A wide range of static testing tools are available. Let's take a closer look at each of them: 

• Pylint is a static analysis tool for the Python programming language. It detects syntax errors, enforces adherence to code writing standards laid down by PEP 8 code design standards, and identifies performance and security issues. Pylint also offers recommendations on how to improve code and fix detected bugs. 
• Checkmarx is a static code analysis platform that finds security vulnerabilities in source code applications. It scans and analyzes source code for potential vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, data leaks, and other attacks. Checkmars helps development teams guarantee their application security during the development phase.  
• SonarQube is a platform for continuous code quality control, including static analysis. It provides many tools to detect bugs, violations of coding standards, duplicate code, and performance and security issues. SonarQube integrates various version control and project management systems to automate code analysis processes and ensure high quality. 

These tools ensure code quality, detect bugs early in development, and improve application security. Regular static testing with these tools helps the development team save time and resources and improve software reliability and security.

Advice for a successful static testing process   

Creating high-quality software requires writing reasonable requirements and the code and checking it for errors effectively. The static testing stage of product verification helps detect errors and problems before code execution. This article will consider several tips for a successful static testing process.  

• Сhoice of a tool: One of the success factors is having the right tools for static testing code analysis. There are many tools for code analysis, each with its peculiarities and functionality. Before choosing a tool, you should define the testing requirements, considering the project peculiarities and technologies used. 
• Setting up analysis parameters: For efficient static testing, you should correctly set up analysis parameters. This includes defining code verification rules and verification severity level, setting filters to exclude false positives, and other parameters that allow you to improve the quality of analysis and accuracy of problem detection.   
• Integration of static testing: It is recommended that static testing be integrated into the development process to automate testing, improve interaction with developers, and promptly identify and fix problems in the code, thereby achieving more efficient and reliable quality control. 
• Training and support for the development team: It is essential to train the team members to use static testing tools and understand the analysis results. This will help improve testing efficiency and speed up bug fixing.     
• Regular updating of analysis rules: The project's structure and requirements may change over time, so it is necessary to regularly update the code analysis rules. This will help accommodate the project's changes and requirements and improve error detection accuracy.  
• Analyze the results and improve the process: An equally important step is to analyze the results of static testing and implement improvements in the testing process. Based on feedback and error analysis, you can identify code sections that require special attention and make adjustments to improve the quality of the code.   

Following these tips will help make the static testing process more efficient and effective, eventually creating high-quality software. Implementing modern testing methods and tools will significantly reduce the number of errors in code and increase the reliability of developed products. By incorporating static testing into your test website accessibility, you can ensure a robust, error-free codebase. 

Conclusion – importance of static software testing   

Besides, static testing helps improve communication within the development team. Conducting code reviews and discussing the application architecture allows team members to understand their colleagues' code better, identify possible improvements, and coordinate approaches to solving tasks. This helps improve team cooperation and increase work efficiency. 

Thus, static testing is a tool for ensuring high software quality. It allows the detection and elimination of errors at the early stages of development, improved communication in the development team, and stable application operation! Contact us today to learn how we can assist in implementing these practices efficiently.